MELTON councillors have slammed the Department of Sustainability and Environment's objection to the council's proposal to rezone the Truganina precinct.
The DSE has refused the C65 amendment, which would rezone the rural land to industrial, because of significant native vegetation on one of the properties. The department has requested that 11hectares of grasslands on a 77-hectare property be retained and that a native vegetation precinct plan be prepared.
It has argued the biodiversity values of the site have not been adequately investigated and the development plan overlay schedule was inadequate.
Reservoir Ward councillor Chris Papas slammed the department's decision, saying it was ``exercising its muscle to impede the economic growth'' in the shire.
``This community deserves more than what the DSE is dishing up. ``It means that further jobs are going to be delayed purely because of the DSE.'' Mayor Bruce Rowan said the DSE was putting restrictions on the rezoning after having given ``approval on what the restrictions were in the first place''.
``It appears that bureaucrats are running around trying to justify their existence. I'll contact the premier [John Brumby] and have a bit of a chat [about] whether or not the Government runs the department or whether the department runs the Government.
``I think it's about time that our state representatives got some teeth and told them how their policies should be and run their department.''
DSE spokeswoman Michelle Atkinson said the department was one of the referral authorities for the application under the planning scheme and was negotiating with the applicant.
``Plains grassland was once extensive in the area from Melbourne to Portland,'' Ms Atkinson said.
``Almost all of it has now been destroyed for cropping and grazing purposes. Today, plains grassland is mainly confined to roadsides and other areas too rocky for cultivation, and the overwhelming majority of this vegetation is in private ownership.''
At last week's council meeting, councillors agreed to write to Environment Minister Gavin Jennings to express their concerns about the DSE.